The Ultimate Dark Academia Reading List For The Fall Season

With the temperatures cooling and the days getting shorter, it can get a bit difficult not to mourn the loss of warmer weather. However, one tried and true method of keeping your head up during the gloomier parts of the season is embracing the “dark academia” lifestyle. 

Dark academia is a term that refers to an aesthetic and internet subculture that romanticizes higher education, literature, the arts, Greek and Gothic architecture, and an old-fashioned educational clothing style featured in many dark academia “mood boards.” 

This aesthetic was initially born on Tumblr in 2015 but became extremely popular among teenagers and young adults in 2020 and 2021 on platforms such as TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram. 

The sudden surge of young people’s interest in dark academia is often credited to the shutdown of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. It acted as a great study motivator during such a stressful time for so many people due to its focus on and romanticization of intellectualism and education — trust me, I’m speaking from experience!

Dark academia’s heavy emphasis on literature makes reading practically a mandatory hobby in order to exude this aesthetic. Luckily, your local English major is here to give you a list of some quintessential dark academia books to add to your TBR list!

The Secret History by Donna Tartt 

Is it even possible to talk about dark academia without mentioning The Secret History?

Considered to be the origin of the trend, The Secret History by Donna Tartt is the perfect Dark Academia novel. Murder, classical studies, betrayal, philosophy, insanity — this book has it all!

While it’s a slightly intimidating read for many people due to its complex vocabulary, overly intellectual topics, and frequent usage of Latin phrases, it’s well worth the effort. 

The Secret History is a witty satire on the pretentiousness, prejudice, and elitism of high academia and intellectualism. It’s an overall beautiful book that I would recommend to any lover of literature. 

With its rich prose, intense plot, and complicated cast of characters, Tartt’s debut novel is captivating, gripping, and so masterfully crafted that even though it may be difficult to pick up, it will be impossible to put down. 

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio 

If you’re intrigued by The Secret History but don’t feel quite ready to read it just yet, If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio may just be the perfect book for you! 

This novel follows a group of student actors studying Shakespeare and performance art at an elite arts university. The characters must take on their most challenging acting roles, yet their on-stage roles start to bleed dangerously into their reality. 

If We Were Villains features the murder-mystery thriller in a university setting and an intricate cast of characters in the same way that The Secret History does but at a more accessible level. Full of suspense and betrayal, this rollercoaster of a novel is sure to captivate you from cover to cover. 

Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling 

Okay, this one was probably a bit predictable, but for good reason. 

The Harry Potter series is a staple in the dark academia aesthetic — lots of fashion inspo and mood board aesthetics are inspired by the Hogwarts Houses and different scenes from the books and movies. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the well-known and beloved first book of the seven-book series. Its lovable characters, fantastical elements, and cozy atmosphere make it easily immersible and accessible to readers of all ages. 

So, whether you’ve never read Harry Potter before or are on your seventh re-read, this fall season is the perfect time to whip up a glass of Butterbeer and immerse yourself in the Wizarding World of Hogwarts.

Babel by R.F Kuang 

Babel was written by renowned author R.F. Kuang and is a work of historical fantasy and speculative fiction that strikingly criticizes the way high academia is complicit in colonialism and British imperialism. 

When an orphaned boy named Robin Swift is brought to alternate-reality 1820s London to enroll in Babel, Oxford University’s Royal Institution of Translation, he uncovers how the magic contained in and created through translation has provided itself as a major tool for the British Empire’s thirst and pursuit of power. 

This novel explores how translation may not always be universally beneficial and could actually be a betrayal above all else.

Along with Robin, the reader comes to understand how knowledge is ultimately controlled by power and how the British Empire utilizes language as its most lethal weapon. 

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is set in an elite private school where the dark secrets of two students, Devon and Chiamaka, are being maliciously exposed by an anonymous figure that goes by “Aces.” 

This is an exhilarating and unique Young Adult thriller that explores institutionalized racism and barriers to entry in academia for marginalized people — think Get Out meets Gossip Girl.

Àbíké-Íyímídé’s enthralling writing style places you directly into the shoes of her characters, with vivid descriptions of her characters’ thoughts and feelings, creating a palpable tension that is felt throughout the entire book. 

Ace of Spades is a great and accessible read with a twist that will leave you slack-jawed and keep you thinking about this book long after you’ve finished reading it. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 

This classic novel is a cautionary tale about vanity and the pursuit of pleasure without regard for morality. It was published in 1890 and is still just as much of a social commentary today as it was for the Victorian society it was written for. 

A beautiful and wealthy young man named Dorian has his portrait painted and becomes obsessed with his own beauty and youth. As he gets older and his morality spirals, pulling him into a life of sin, his portrait becomes decrepit, aged, and hideous, while Dorian’s outward appearance remains unchanged. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by literary legend Oscar Wilde is a controversial and highly influential novel and yet another dark academic staple, with its themes of beauty, art, narcissism, intellectualism, and insanity. 

Wilde’s only novel is a great introduction to classic literature for a reader who isn’t accustomed to the oftentimes confusing language of older books. His beautiful writing style makes reading this novel a romantic experience — practically every sentence he’s ever written is effortlessly quotable. 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein is widely considered to be the first science fiction novel and was written by one of the literary world’s most quintessential female writers — now that’s iconic! 

This is the classic monster story of a scientist who succeeds in creating life post-mortem only to reject it when it becomes hideous. Its genre-defining storyline will have you questioning who truly is the man and who is the monster. 

Frankenstein‘s influence on popular culture is undeniable and makes it a must-read for any fans of horror, Gothic art, classic literature, or science fiction. 

This Gothic novel is perfect for a seasoned reader wanting to immerse themselves in Shelley’s dense and poetic prose as well as her timeless questioning of what makes a life and the ethical obligations that come with being a scientist.

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Predating Bram Stoker’s Dracula by 25 years, Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu is one of the earliest and most influential works in the vampire fiction genre and one of the most significant novels featuring a female vampire as a lead character. 

This Gothic novella follows the lonely Laura who yearns for a friend until an injured woman appears near Laura’s castle. This beautiful and mysterious woman, named Carmilla, easily befriends Laura, but as their friendship evolves into something more, it becomes clear that Carmilla is not all that she says she is. 

Rich with emotional conflict, sapphic connotation, and sexual tension, Carmilla is a severely underrated Gothic novel that is both a great introduction to the Gothic horror genre and a complex, fascinating piece of unconventional counterculture literature, especially for its time. 

Vicious by Victoria E. Schwab 

The first in a duology, Vicious by Victoria E. Schwab is a legendary tale of best friends-to-archenemies and an exploration of how fine the line is between hero and villain. 

The story follows college roommates Victor and Eli who discover a way of creating superhuman abilities through their scientific experiments. However, things quickly turn catastrophic when they perform these experiments on themselves.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison hellbent on getting his revenge on his former best friend turned archnemesis. 

This novel and series is a modern twist on the Frankenstein narrative and a unique take on the superhero story, where heroism and villainy are not as black and white as one might think.   

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

To me, this is the book for people who love books. 

The novel begins with student Zachary Ezra Rawlins finding a mysterious book in the library that leads him to an underground society of ancient libraries, cats, and their guardians. He falls headfirst into this new world of books and the people who make huge sacrifices to protect it from those who wish to destroy it. 

Morgenstern exquisitely pulls you through heartbreak and yearning, adventure and destruction, and new beginnings and bittersweet endings with her poetic writing and unparalleled storytelling. 

Once you’re sucked into The Starless Sea’s secret underground world and Morgenstern’s haunting prose, you’re never going to want this book to end. 

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